At least 224 tribal fishermen families are engaged in cage culture unit at the Harbhangi reservoir of Gajapati district, which has provided alternative employment and livelihood support, said Director, Fisheries, Bijaya Ketan Upadhyay.
The fish farming method involves mooring cages of specified sizes in waters and releasing fingerlings into them to grow within the confines of the cages but in their natural environment. Dr Upadhyay said the cage culture in Odisha is in infant stage.
The Harabhangi reservoir, having 480 hectares located at Dumiguda village in Mohana block, has been leased out to Harabhangi Adivasi Primary Fishermen Co-operative Society (PFCS).
The PFCS is allowed lease under the Odisha State Reservoir Fishery Policy 2004. From this Unit at least 36.32 Metric Ton(MT) of fish and 10.85 MT of prawn has been produced during 2014-15 to 2017-18.
For ensuring the additional fish production from the reservoir and ensuring livelihood of tribal fishermen during lean season, cage culture was taken up during 2013-14 in Harabhangi reservoir with Rs 94 lakh under the NMPS programme.
The 24 grow out cages were stocked with 96,000 Pangassius fish seed.
The Pangassius seed of 5-6gm size was procured from Kolkota traders and provided with floating pellet fish feed.
At least 45.52 MT of Pangassius fish has been produced from these cages during last 3 years i.e.2014-15 to 2016-17.
Cage culture technique was introduced by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in 2007 and several institutions have taken up the innovative exercise.